The second annual Royal Ball, set for April 13 at the Bacara Resort & Spa and benefiting the Pacific Pride Foundation, has already taken in more than $230,000 in sponsorships and more than 450 tickets have been sold.
The Royal Ball will be filled with glamor, opulence, music and guests, all in support of Santa Barbara’s Pacific Pride Foundation. Royal butlers will serve cocktails and canapés on silver trays, while the Royal Court will entertain. A lineup of dancers, extreme stilt and acrobatic performance artists and rock star DJ Mike Bryant will keep the crowd dancing until 1 a.m.
“Invitations are just now hitting people’s mailboxes and the event is nearly sold out,” said Merryl Brown of Merryl Brown Events. “As soon as last year’s spectacular Royal Ball was over, people started asking about tickets for this year and how they could be a part of the event. It’s beyond what we could have ever imagined.”
Sponsorship
Sponsorship for Royal boxes has already sold out. This includes one $50,000 Emperor & Empress Sponsor; two $25,000 King and Queen Sponsors; six $10,000 Prince and Princess Sponsors; and 11 $5,000 Duke and Duchess Sponsors. Thirty $500 VIP tickets have also been sold.
Click here for ticket information.
Celebrity Participation
Honorary co-chairs include actor Neil Patrick Harris and his husband, David Burtka; Iron Chef and author Cat Cora and her wife, Jennifer Cora; 20th Century Fox Television Chairman Gary Newman and his wife, Los Angeles talent attorney Jeanne Newman; actress Jane Lynch and her wife, Dr. Lara Embry; and writer, producer, actor and singer Shaun Cassidy and his wife, Tracey. Actress Zulay Henao, actress Joanna Kerns, famed interior designer Ryan Brown, actor Tab Hunter, and reality TV personality Andrew Firestone and his wife, Ivana, are all enthusiastic Royal Ball supporters.
Auction Highlights
A Bacara Resort Commitment Ceremony Package valued at $45,000 includes a two-night stay in Bacara Resort & Spa’s Presidential Suite, “The Residence,” featuring 3,700 square feet, two oversized balconies (one with an outdoor fireplace), two bedrooms, a dining room, a wet bar and an expansive fireside living room. This amazing auction item includes an intimate commitment ceremony on the Residence Lawn overlooking breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean. The chef will prepare a three-course dinner paired with wines in your suite for up to 20 people. Merryl Brown Events has donated the event planning and design to create an elegant and meaningful celebration of love and commitment.
Be the stylish new owner of an exceptionally restored, bright red Vintage 1954 Ford V8 pickup truck — new tires, shocks and an oak-lined truck bed. Value: $20,000.
Painting by Baret Boisson of the historic Stonewall Riots. This original painting pays tribute to the events that took place at the Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969, when gay patrons fought back against a raid by the police for the first time. Boisson’s work is in many major collections, including Sumner Redstone, Jimmy Fallon and Jane Pratt. Value: $7,500.
Pacific Pride provides the community with HIV/AIDS testing, medical case management, education and prevention services, and two food pantries for low-income HIV positive clients. At the forefront of LGBT advocacy, Pacific Pride offers counseling programs, support services for questioning youth, and sensitivity and awareness trainings for businesses, educators and law enforcement. With the generous support of our sponsors and donors, Pacific Pride Foundation will continue its long tradition of service for years to come.
— Kelly Kapaun is a publicist representing the Pacific Pride Foundation.